A magazine editor once gave me a very severe look when I told him ‘Century of the Self’ was better than any movie in 2002. I don’t think he owned a TV. I like what I’ve seen of Adam Curtis’ newie ‘Century of PH34R&[…]

Notcied at the National (ITV – ahem) Television Awards last night was how one particular channel seemed to do better than all the others. Indeed I would be hard pushed to think of anyone who worked on a BBC show who won an award. That is fine h[…]

Can you make a successful film with a couple of good actors in the back garden of a stately home? Only if your source material is really top notch, and unfortunately The Triumph Of Love’s source materially is a ropey old 18th Century French farce. […]

Broadcasting legend John Peel dead
From the BBC Newsroom:
Radio 1 DJ John Peel has died at the age of 65. He was on holiday in Peru with his wife Sheila when he suffered a massive heart attack in a hotel. John had been on Radio 1 since it went on air[…]

The lifespan of originality as a laudable quality is perilously short. We try to hold up firsts as being somehow significant, but beyond their actual place in linear history they rarely stand out. Maybe Hillary and Norgay were the first to climb Ever[…]

The Life And Death Of Peter Sellers is plagued with an inappropriate soundtrack. Not when the film apes and recreates periods of Sellers film career (though the Henry Mancini Pink Panther theme is surprisingly played down). Rather the intrusion of a […]

I’d Rather Jack
Newly-commissioned eps of Scooby Doo mean that the Simpsons loses its hard won “most episodes of a cartoon” claim. (That all important BBC News link). But last month, more importantly, Samurai Jack won the animation […]

Centred as it is on Stuart Townshend’s performance – a badness of judgment and execution that enters Bowie-esque ahem “cracked actor” territory!* – I forget that my rabid partisan support for and devotion to this film is[…]

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
Dir. Jonathan Demme
I actually feel somewhat reticent about posting this because I have a slight hunch this is appearing in the FT Top 50 list (or else it already has and I’ve missed it), and it seems sorta gauche for m[…]

Altered beasts
1979 Alien movie: frightening.
1987 Predator movie: engaging.
1989 Aliens vs Predator comic book: exciting.
1994 Aliens vs Predator console game: gripping.
2004 Alien vs Predator movie: APPALLING.[…]